254 Evolution and Adaptation 
the ear consumed apparently by the same disease. Romanes 
then gives the following significant analysis of this result. 
Since a different part of the ear of the progeny is affected, 
and also a “very much less quantity thereof,” it might seem 
that the result was due either to a mere coincidence, or to 
the transmission of microbes. But he goes on to say, that he 
fairly well excluded both of these possibilities, for, in the first 
place, he has never observed “the very peculiar process in 
the ears, or in any other parts of guinea-pigs which have 
neither themselves had the restiform bodies injured, nor 
been born of parents thus mutilated.” In regard to mi- 
crobes, Romanes tried to infect the ears of normal guinea- 
pigs by first scarifying these parts, and then rubbing them 
with the diseased surfaces of the ears of affected guinea- 
pigs. In not a single case was the disease produced. 
Romanes concludes that these “results in large measure 
corroborate the statements of Brown-Séquard; and it.is only 
fair to add that he told me they were the results which he 
had himself obtained most frequently, but that he had also 
met with many cases where the diseased condition of the 
ears in parents affected the same parts in their progeny and 
also occurred in more equal degrees.” 
We come now.to the remarkable conclusion given in 
Brown-Séquard’s 7th statement, in regard to the absence of 
toes in animals whose parents had eaten off their own hind 
toes and even parts of their legs: Romanes got neuroses in 
the animals operated upon, and found that the toes might be 
eaten off ; but none of the young showed any defect in these 
parts. Furthermore, Romanes repeated the same operation 
upon the descendants through six successive generations, so 
as to produce, if possible, a cumulative effect, but no inheri- 
tance of the mutilation was observed. ‘On the other hand, 
Brown-Séquard informed me that he had observed this in- 
herited absence of toes only in about one or two per cent of 
cases.” It is possible, therefore, Romanes adds, that his 
